Veneer and Laminates in

Residential Construction
Steve Kelly
Advanced Diploma in Building
Design(architectural) June 2009
 Timber veneer in Residential
Construction
Decorative
 Timber veneer in Residential
Construction
Decorative
Furniture
 Timber veneer in Residential
Construction
Decorative
Furniture
Joinery
 Timber veneer in Residential
Construction
Decorative
Furniture
Joinery
Panelling
 Timber veneer in Residential
Construction
Decorative
Furniture
Joinery
Panelling
Flooring
 Timber veneer in Residential
Construction
Decorative
Furniture
Joinery
Panelling
Flooring
Structural
 Timber veneer in Residential
Construction
Decorative
Furniture
Joinery
Panelling
Flooring
Structural
Plywood
 Timber veneer in Residential
Construction
Decorative
Furniture
Joinery
Panelling
Flooring
Structural
Plywood
LVL
 Veneer Manufacture
Decorative timber veneer
is generally produced
from the highest quality
logs. This means that
there are no faults such
as knots , discolouration
or gum vein. It is a
visual grade rather than
structural
 Slicing and peeling
Veneer logs are
steamed or pickled to
soften their structure Crown cut
and are then sliced or
rotary peeled into
leaves. The thickness of Quarter cut
these leaves generally
varies from 0.80 to
3mm
Rotary peeled
 Grading and Joining
Veneers are next graded
for quality, width
appearance and length
and selected for use
Bundles of veneer are next selected
The individual leaves of veneer are
for use . Much goes into the
then straightened and cut to a
production of veneered panels for
consistent width on a guillotine,
use in architectural situations such as
before being joined
wall and ceiling panels
 Matching
One of the main
advantages in using
timber veneer is the
ability to produce
panels consistent in
colour and pattern. This
is achieved by several
methods.
 Book and Slip matching
are the most common
but there are many
other variations
 Pressing
The resulting sheets of
veneer or Lay ons are
then pressed onto sheet
material. This substrate
may be MDF ,
Particleboard or
Plywood depending on
the end use
 Environmental issues
There are a few
environmental issues to
be considered in the
area of veneer and
veneered product
manufacture.
 The rate of material recovery in slicing or
peeling a log is very high.There is little wastage
to sawing and machining.
VOCs are extensively used in the production
process. Adhesives to glue the veneers to
substrate, and in the production of the
substrates themselves.
Veneered panels are usually finished with
polyurethane based finishes to prevent
discolouration. These substances are generally
high in VOCs
High Pressure Laminate in Residential
Construction
Decorative
High Pressure Laminate in Residential
Construction
Decorative
Furniture
Joinery
 High Pressure Laminate in Residential
Construction
Decorative
Furniture
Joinery

Structural
 High Pressure Laminate in Residential
Construction
Decorative
Furniture
Joinery

Structural
Wet area panelling
Flooring
 Decorative Laminates
Decorative laminates are used in the
manufacture of furniture and joinery
Benchtops
Doors
Panels
 Laminate manufacture
High pressure laminates are made from layers
of Kraft paper impregnated with phenolic
resins, a surface layer of melamine with
printed pattern or solid colour, which are then
combined under heat and high pressure.
The resulting sheet of material can then be
glued to a substrate such as MDF
 Melamine

While it is not a laminate but a hard wearing

coating, I have included melamine because it
is widely used in the manufacture of joinery.
It is available applied to MDF and
Particleboard in numerouus colours and
textures
 Laminate flooring

A prominent use of laminates in residential construction is in overlay flooring .

Used as a hard wearing and easily installed alternative to floating timber floors.
These floors require no finishing and clip together showing no fixings. They are
made by applying the laminate to an HDF substrate.
Laminate and veneer
flooring
these types of flooring systems show
many similarities
They are overlay floors meaning they
are layed over a substrate such as
concrete or particleboard floors.

They are made from a substrate such

as ply ,mdf or particle board which has
the laminate or veneer glued to it.
The boards have a finish coat or layer
applied as part of the manufacturing
process.

They are free to move seasonally .By

using clip together profiles rather than
fixings and leaving gaps for expansion
around the perimeter of the room.
Skirting and architraves are fixed after
the floor is laid to hide these gaps.
LVL and Plywood
 LVL and Plywood
An important use for veneer is in the
production of Laminated Veneer Lumber and
Plywood
As their names suggest, both these products
use multiple layers of veneer glued together
under pressure.
 LVL and Plywood
Both products most commonly use rotary
peeled softwood veneers.
LVL is available as a stronger and more
lightweight alternative to solid timber
structural members
Plywood is manufactured in sheet form and
has many structural uses.
Codes and Standards
References
Questions?